Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2: Concerns, challenges, and recent updates

J Med Virol. 2022 Jun;94(6):2336-2342. doi: 10.1002/jmv.27633. Epub 2022 Feb 12.

¹ Department of Chemistry, Government College of Engineering, Keonjhar, Odisha, India.
² Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Uttar Pradesh Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya PashuChikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura, India.
³ Department of Chemistry, School of Applied Sciences, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
⁶ Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India.

Abstract

Omicron has shown immune escape from neutralizing antibodies generated through previous infection or vaccination.
It could evade the protection provided by mAbs being used in clinics for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients.
Booster dose is recommended to elevate the protective levels of antibodies in COVID‐19 vaccinated individuals.
The development of powerful oral antiviral drugs such as Molnupiravir and Paxlovid have shown promising clinical results and raised new hopes of COVID‐19 treatment.
High efforts are being made to develop highly efficacious vaccines, and by implementing appropriate prevention and control strategies to counter Omicron.